Beautiful Bee Pollen!

The complete food in golden grains

Compiled by Keith Hunt
The famous Hippocrates ( a Greek physician, 460-377 B.C.
considered the father of medicine) wrote: "Let your food be your
medicine - let your medicine be your food."
While there are many foods that God has created that in
natural organic form are tremendously good for our health (all in
balance of course), I thought there was one that I needed to
publish and recommend to you. A food that is hardly
recognized as a food per se by most people, unless you are a
bee-keeper and in the honey business. That food is bee pollen. I
am not a bee-keeper and have no business in trying to sell bee
pollen to anyone. But I have for decades read much about it and
used it in my diet for most of my adult life.
Here are exerts from HEALTH EXPRESS (The Journal of the
International Academy of Nutritional Consultants) November 1981.
(Scottsdale, Arizona) - Natural is in - and ordinary people the
world over are beginning to re-examine ancient beliefs in a
search for simple, natural ways to prevent, or at least
forestall, some of the health problems that seem to be an
inherent part of the so-called "good life." Honeybee pollen,
containing all 22 essential nutrients needed for perfect
health, may be the answer.
Jeffrey S. Bland, Ph.D. and Associate Professor of Chemistry
and Environment Sciences, Tacoma, Washington, says, "The price we
pay for living in the 20th century includes an increase in stress
agents."
Chemical food additives, toxic environmental substances like
asbestos, ozone and other debilitating agents in our polluted air
abound. Artificial flavors and colors, stabilizers, emulsifiers,
and other food chemicals are also a form of pollution in a sense.
"Most of these compounds place an unknown amount of stress upon
our physiology after entering the food chain," Dr. Bland remarks.
That's why vitamins, minerals and other concentrated
supplements are so important. "Proper nutritive supplements," he
continues. "will help augment the body's defense against the
pathology resulting from these chemical and physical stress
factors. The more we expose ourselves to toxicants, air pollution
and empty calorie foods, the more the need for selective
supplementation."
Dr. Bland cautions, "If the process of tissue building falls
behind that of tissue destruction due to aging or environmental
stress, then the organism will be in a state of biochemical and
physiological regression leading potentially to disease."
POLLEN HAS PROVEN INVALUABLE IN
TREATING SEVERE STRESS
X-rays, although often unavoidable and a valuable tool in
diagnosis, bombard the body with ironizing radiation. Irradiation
irreversibly damages cells, as does the natural aging process,
but at a highly accelerated pace. Cancer patients, for example,
are often treated with "radiotherapy," which is meant to destroy
all cancerous cells within the body (so also chemotherapy - Keith
Hunt). I this form of treatment, many healthy cells are
unavoidably destroyed.
Dr. Peter Nermuss, University of Vienna, Austria, conducted
a study of 25 women with inoperable uterine cancer. The women
receiving pollen were better able to tolerate the tress of
radiation and suffered less from side effects of the treatment,
such as loss of appetite, nausea, insomnia, hair loss and
inflammation. The women receiving pollen also had a higher
concentration of leucocytes and infection-fighting blood cells.
The natural antibodies of the body's defense mechanism increased
in the pollen-fed group, but fell in the control group receiving
a placebo.
MODERN ANALYSIS OF HONEYBEE POLLEN
CONFIRMS ANCIENT BELIEFS
Modern analysis gives us good reason to believe that the
stories handed down by the ancients regarding ambrosia and the
so-called "old wives" tales of the curative benefits of honey may
well be true, but should actually be attributed to the honeybee
pollen articles in the honey.
In Norse mythology, the secret of the eternal life of their
many gods was reputed to be ambrosia. Ambrosia was simply a
combination of raw honey and "bee bread," another name for the
honeycomb which the bees store up in honeycomb cells. This same
food was reserved for the original Olympic athletes of ancient
Greece to increase their energy and performance. Many modern-day
super-star athletes have rediscovered the incredible food and
attribute increased power to their consumption of pollen. Ancient
texts unearthed in Babylon, China, Egypt, and Persia, agree that
this revered food contains the secret of eternal youth and
health. Honey is mentioned 68 times in the Bible as a specially
blessed food.
In pre-Biblical times and for many centuries, all honey was
raw, wild honey. It was eaten with the comb and was loaded with
honeybee pollen. Since the discovery of centrifugal force, now
used to extract the liquid honey from the comb, honey has been
strained and processed, removing all the pollen rich particles.
When health claims about honey have been tested with the
virtually pollen-free modern version, they have been found
greatly exaggerated or even untrue.
THE USSR HAS LONG BEEN AWARE
OF THE BENEFITS OF POLLEN
The Soviet Union may well claim the greatest longevity
record in the world! According to their 1959 census, there were
over 20,000 people in the USSR over 100 years old.....Dr. Nicolai
Tsitsin, Russian Gerontologist, sent letters to 200 people
claiming to be over 100 years of age asking three basic question.
He wanted to know how old they were, what their occupation was
and what food they consistently ate. Dr. Tsitsin relates,
"We made a very interesting discovery. The answers showed that a
large number of them were bee-keepers. And all of them, without
exception, said their principal food had always been honey!"
But, sensational as this discovery was, this was not all!
"We found," continued Dr. Tsitsin, "that in each case it wasn't
really honey these people ate, but the waste matter in the bottom
of the beehive. They were poor and sold all the pure honey,
keeping only the dirty residue for themselves."
After a series of laboratory experiments and tests, Dr.
Tsitsin discovered that the "dirty residue" of the honey-scrap
was neither dirty nor honey, but almost pure pollen that had
fallen off the bees legs while depositing honey. Tsitsin was on
the verge of a great nutritional discovery!
Dr. Naum Petrovich Joirich, head of the department of
Physiology, Soviet Academy of science, Vladivostock, Russia,
calls honeybee pollen "a treasure house of nutrition and
regenerative power." He states, "It is a strong biological
stimulant with regenerative properties. The sheer magnitude of
pollen proliferation on the face of this earth hints at
its life-giving role in nature's survival plan." .......
DIVERSE REPOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
ARE ENCOURAGING
The New York Cancer Research Institute stated in 1965 that
beekeepers as a group, have the lowest incidence of cancer of all
occupations monitored. Dr. George E. Berkey, Boston State
college, has reported on a French study of the deaths of 1,000
beekeepers that showed only one dying from cancer......No
in-depth research has been done to explain why....but the theory
has become wide-spread that perhaps the bees themselves provide
the substance which shields the body from malignancy. Pollen,
even more than honey, may be the reason beekeepers seem to have
such an impressive immunity to cancer.
Dr. Carlson Wade, in "About Pollen" states, "The healing,
rejuvenating and disease-fighting effects of this total nutrient
are hard to believe, yet are fully documented. Aging, digestive
upsets, prostate disease, sore throats, acne, fatigue, sexual
problems, allergies, and a host of other problems, have been
successfully treated by the use of pollen."
Bee pollen contains a gonadotropic hormone, similar to the
pituitary hormone, gonadotrophin, which functions as a sex-gland
stimulant. Research conducted at the University of Sarajevo,
Yugoslavia treated a group of impotent men with bee pollen. After
one month of ingestion, over half showed an improvement in sperm
production, in self-confidence and better sexual performance.
The July/August, 1980 issue of Soma Health magazine
reported, "Bee pollen contains natural hormonal substances which
stimulate and nourish the reproductive systems of both men and
women. Sexual stamina and endurance are increased by a multitude
of components found in pollen. Bee pollen does have a dramatic
effect on sexual ability."
Marjorie McCormick, author of "The Golden Pollen" states,
"......Without doubt, pollen continues to be the only perfect
food."
Honeybee pollen, being the only known food on earth
containing all essential nutrients needed by mankind for perfect
health, can help correct the body chemistry to allow the body to
rid itself of all unhealthy conditions. Asthma, colitis,
prostatitis, allergies, hay fever, chronic constipation,
haemorrhoids, chronic diarrhea, premature aging and impotence are
just some of the conditions that have responded successfully to
honeybee pollen ingestion. Pollen has also been used in
correcting errors of metabolism that may be involved in unhealthy
weight gain and is a natural method of weight control.
Dr. Bernard C. Jensen, sometimes called the "Saint of
Health-Food Movement," says, in his latest book, "Nature Has a
Remedy," "Much has been said about pollen helping glands in the
body. all experiments on animals show that it prolongs life and
helps keep the glands in good order."
Dr. Sigmund Schmidt, Cancer Specialist and Doctor for the
Natural Health Clinic in Bad Bothenfelds, says, "Eat pollen.
Pollen contains all the essential elements, vitamins and
minerals, for healthy tissue and therefore could be a cancer
preventative."
.............Dr. Kilmer McCully, M.D., Professor of pathology at
Harvard Medical School, states that the original lesion (injury)
in arteriosclerosis (heart disease) is caused by a series of
events initiated by a deficiency of pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and
an increase in the toxic substance, homocysteine, which is a
breakdown product of the amino acid, methionine. When pyridoxine
is present, homocysteine is unable to do its destructive work.
Pyridoxine, acting as a co-enzyme, facilitates enzyme reaction,
which quickly converts homocysteine to cystathionine, which is
not toxic and is safely used by the body in other pathways. We
should therefore eat foods having a high B6 content and a low
methionine content. The three highest foods having the B6
methionine ratio are bananas, with a ratio of 40, carrots with a
ratio of 15, and onions with a ratio of 10. Surprisingly,
honeybee pollen has a ratio of 400 to 1 - proving once again the
miraculous properties of honeybee pollen as superior to any other
food on earth now known.
HOW HONEYBEE POLLEN
CONTROLS WEIGHT
Pollen for weight stabilization: When bee pollen is taken by
itself, without food, it appears to work unhindered in correcting
errors of metabolism, which may be involved in unhealthy weight
gain....When bee pollen's inverted sugars are taken into your
digestive system., there is a speedy combustion. This causes a
speedy increase in the rate of calorie burning and consequent
weight loss. It is bee pollen which causes this internal
reaction. It is the natural way to improve metabolism and help
control and take off weight.
Probably the most beneficial effect of pollen is that, taken
internally, it quickly produces the same anti-putrefactive effect
as lactic-acid foods and thus contributes to a healthy digestive
system and good assimilation of nutrients - absolute
prerequisites for good health and long life......
WHAT DOUBLE-BIND STUDIES HAVE BEEN
MADE WITH BEE POLLEN?
Dr. Remey Chauvin, MD, Managing Trustee of the Institute of
Bee Culture., Bures-Sur-Yvete, Paris, France - Dr. Edouard Lenor,
MD - and associates at the Institute and at the Paris Child
Preventatorium, and Dr. Rudolf Frye, MD, Head Physician of the
Korneburg Hospital, Vienna, Austria - Dr. P. Perrin, Head of the
Paris Preventatorium - Drs. Edfromonth, MD, Dr. C. Louveauz, MD,
Dr. J. Verge, MD, and associates, have conducted more
double-blind studies and basic research into the benefits of the
ingestion of honey bee pollen by humans, than any other medical
groups. There results follow:
Not only was honey bee pollen used successfully in permanent
weight loss, but corrected chronic constipation when all other
remedies failed. It is a curative for intestinal complaints,
including inflamed intestines and other infections of the large
intestine. Pollen was successfully used in correcting premature
aging, cerebral hemorrhage, body weakness, rickets, anemia,
enteritis, colitis and toxic elimination.
The anti-biotics in honey bee pollen was extracted and found
extremely active; certain cultures of microbes were killed almost
instantly with this bee pollen extract, especially those agents
responsible in the hard to control diseases such as salmonella
(typhoid types).
The growth excellerator in bee pollen was extracted and
given in double-blind studies with the result showing that
regulatory action on the intestinal functions of constipation as
well as diarrhea. Both were successfully treated when they
resisted all other antibiotics.
It produced rapid increase in blood haemoglobin in anemic
children and a rapid increase of weight and energy in
convalescent patients. It had a calming and tranquilizing
effect without any side effects or contra-indications.....
Bee pollen was also found to be a good biological
stimulator, particularly in treating prematurely senile old
people, with no side effects being observed.
Pollen restores equilibrium and harmony of body functions in
psychosomatic conditions and builds up the morale of the
patient......
Honey bee pollen fed to anemic children quickly builds up
strength and weight and acts as a calming sedative.....Bee pollen
causes a 30% increase in red corpuscles and an increase in
haemoglobin count, averaging 15%. Children in the Paris Child
Preventatorium were given bee pollen during one and two months
and showed an increase in quantity of epitrocytes by 25 to 30%
with a comparable increase in haemoglobin count.....
In the Paris Preventatorium for children, honey bee pollen
was successfully used in the treatment of colibacillose, chronic
constipation, diarrhea and also as a restorer of the
growth-factor after serious and infectious diseases.
Enterocolitis, intermittent constipation, false diarrhea
with bloody mucus, frequent attacks of fever, signa-shaped
diverticulosis, abnormal weight gain and no-change in
growth-pattern were all successfully treated by a daily morning
intake of 2 heaping teaspoons of pollen in a quarter-glass of
warm water.
In fifteen days, bloody mucus stopped, stools became normal,
fever attacks ceased and weight normalized.
Acute crisis of articular rheumatism with cardiac
complications with deteriorating lymphatic conditions, subject
being easily fatigued with absence of appetite and absence
of growth, was successfully corrected by the ingestion of one
tablespoon of bee pollen daily.
ATHLETES ARE DISCOVERING POLLEN
Harry McCarthy, in his "How Bee Pollen Slows Aging," says,
"Pollen contains mysterious ingredients which slow old age and
fight killing diseases. Pollen boosts an athlete's performance
further and much more safely than any 'pep pill' in existence.
Sport super-stars in particular are seizing upon bee pollen to
improve their endurance and field records."
Steve Riddick, the fastest man on earth (remember this
article was written in 1981 - Keith Hunt), has been taking bee
pollen since 1971. He says that after just two months he felt an
upsurge in strength and endurance and speed...."As it my body
shifted into a more powerful gear."
Dr. Neil Lyall, noted British nutritionist, says, "The
super-stars of the athletic world and entertainment world are now
taking bee pollen...."
Alex Woodly, Head coach and Executive Director of the
prestigious Education Athletic Club in Philadelphia, says, "Bee
pollen works and it works perfectly."........
Noel Johnson, 82 year-old World Senior Boxing Champion,
proclaimed "The World's Greatest Senior Boxer," author of the
book, "A dud at 70 - a Stud at 80," Lecturer, and the oldest
living finisher of the 1979 New York City marathon, says, " I
made the use of bee pollen the essential facet of my nutrition
program. I believe I derive special nutrients from bee pollen
which produce the energy I need for the Pikes Peak Marathon and
other physical efforts requiring extraordinary stamina and
strength. There can be no doubt that honey bee pollen is as
perfect a food as a person can find in the world today."
Furman Bisher, in "Bee-Lieve," says, "The miracle of bee
pollen is not limited to Europe any longer, but is worldwide. He
says, "Athletes everywhere are beginning to ingest honey bee
pollen."
POLLEN FOR BEAUTY
Marjorie McCormick, author of "The Golden Pollen," says,
"Pollen furnishes all of the indispensable constituents of the
diet, except water. Honey been Pollen is the richest food in
nature - second to none. Pollen will curb the appetite if taken
before meals. The known and unknown bio-stimulation principle
contain in bee pollen causes the human organism to throw of
poisons and wastes. These purifying qualities of pollen actually
provide an excellent way to protect against premature aging.
Early aging can be caused by faulty elimination of waste products
or by lack of essential nutritive material. One may assume that,
thanks to pollen, man now has a way to defend himself against
aging and its inherent infirmities."
Sunan Wright, famed British nutritionist says, "Bee pollen
keeps the skin healthy and imparts vibration, relaxation and
vitality - which results in an optimum sense of wellbeing and
beauty," as reported by noted expert, Amy Green.
Vogue calls pollen the latest "dust-up on natural beauty."
Loni Anderson, star of television's "WKRP in Cincinnati,"
helps maintain her robust good health and natural good looks with
regular exercise, a wholesome diet, nutritional supplements, and
the special use of bee pollen, as reported in "Let's Live"
magazine.
Lars-Erik Essen, MD, Dermatologist of Halsinborg, Sweden,
while considered a pioneer in the use of this rejuvenating food
product (bee pollen), says, "Through transcutaneous nutrition,
bee pollen has a profound biological effect. It seems to prevent
premature aging of the cells and stimulates the growth of new
skin tissue. It offers effective protection against dehydration
and injects new life into dry skin cells."
The skin becomes younger-looking, less vulnerable to
wrinkles, smoother and healthier with the use of bee
pollen......and is an important skin rejuvenator because it
contains a high concentration of the nucleic acids, RNA and DNA.
Dr. Henri Luzuy, in "Pollen - The Biological Principle in
Cosmetology" says, "Pollen extracts can be considered as factors
of particular importance in the regeneration and rejuvenation of
the skin. The first visible effects of the cosmetic preparations
with a pollen extract base is the clearing of the complexion."
Dr. M. Esperrois, MD, French Institute of Chemistry, Paris,
France, concluded from his experiments that honey bee pollen
contains potent antibiotics which reverse the aging of the skin
and correct darkening, wrinkles and blemishes.......
..............................
So I end the quotes from "Health Express" (November 1981).
All that was said was the POSITIVE on bee pollen. I want to make
it CLEAR that not ALL is just positive, some is NEUTRAL or NOT
positive. This of course must be the case, as not all things
"good" make a difference on the positive side with EVERY person
taking it to try and help solve or eliminate things mentioned
above. People and their body's inner workings can be very
individual, and some, for a variety of reasons, do not respond in
a positive way to a basic known "good" food, like many others may
respond to the same good food on the positive helpful side.
I have an article from "Runners World" (August 1980) that
indeed reported what some world famous (back in 1980 that is)
track and field athletes claimed was a positive effect from
taking bee pollen (at least they felt in their mind with ability
to perform and practice), and some individuals and coaches of
teams using bee pollen (some in double-blind situations) felt
their was no positive difference in either performance or
endurance.
So for some athletes they felt it worked for them, both in
performance and in practice, for others they felt it did not help
to improve their abilities in performance or practice.
On the athletic side the article is probably correct in
summing it all up this way:
"Most reputable persons involved with bee pollen DON'T claim
it holds MAGICAL powers. To UCLA nutritionalists, Sunsan Smith
Jones and Tourney Smith, assert that bee pollen can be helpful to
athletes ONLY IF used in a comprehensive program of good health.
'I don't feel that bee pollen is a cure-all,' Jones said, 'but I
feel it works. Bee pollen is a food. It's a natural food with all
the amino acids and some complete proteins. It also contains a
wide spectrum of trace elements that are believed to be of great
importance to the body, but that are processed out of most
ordinary foods. Bee pollen isn't the only part of good nutrition,
but it's an important part.' "
Putting aside the athlete and looking on the other side, the
same article in Runner's World magazine, had this to say:
"....A surprising amount of research, however, has been
conducted outside of the Unites States on the MEDICAL benefits of
bee pollen.....If bees can teach us something, then bee pollen
can't be beat. Without it, the queen bee would stop laying her
eggs, young larvae wouldn't survive and the hive would soon
die....The Greek physicians, Hippocrates, and Pliny, the
naturalist, both believed that bee pollen protected against
disease. The ancient Chinese referred to bee pollen, and the
Egyptians covered the bodies of their dead with beeswax and honey
to preserve them on their journey to the next world.
Bees collect the microscopic grains of pollen from the
flowers, plants or tree blossoms on their daily search for
nectar....Bees swallow the nectar and then disgorge
it for honeymaking. They also mix it with the pollen, which
clings to their legs in transit, to produce bee pollen. Then they
use their heads to beat the pollen product into the honeycombs
and spread honey over it for protection. This product is fed to
the young larvae as they grow up......
At this point, any attempt to claim that bee pollen provides
similar benefits for man is to work by analogy. And it certainly
doesn't follow that if bee pollen keeps the tiny bee
alive and well, it will do the same for a marathon runner.
ON PAPER, though, bee pollen, is a REMARKABLY COMPLETE
substance that offers in trace amounts virtually EVERY
nutritional element needed for a healthy diet. Altogether, 16
VITAMINS, 16 MINERALS, 18 ENZYMES, 18 PROTEINS and AMINO
ACIDS and 28 ASSORTED additional elements such as fructose and
glucose have bee isolated. Bee pollen contains the 10 essential
amino acids that the body requires from an outside source, and
without which we cannot synthesize NEW tissue. It contains
vitamin A, D, E, K, C and the COMPLETE vitamin B complex. It also
includes OESTROGEN and ANDROGEN, the biological catalysts of
nature, and RUTIN, which strengthens the walls of the body's
capillaries......"
The article in Runner's World goes on with a number of the
same "finds" as were reported in "Health Express" above.
Part of how the article in Runner's World finishes is this:
"On the surface, all these findings appear consistent with
the evidence that bee pollen improves the recuperative powers of
the body. No one knows for sure how it works, although Korchemny
has speculated that bee pollen stimulates rapid recuperation
of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the 'battery pack' in each cell
that is responsible for the chemical energy that cells release on
demand during physical exertion.
Before you run out and try bee pollen yourself, you should
heed one cautionary voice: Dr. Steven Cohen and his colleagues at
the Mayo Clinic and the Medical College of Wisconsin have
reported in the 'Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology' that
three patients developed severe allergic reactions to bee pollen
after a single tablespoon or less. The three were allergic to
ragweed pollens, the most common of the airborne pollens that
produce allergic reactions. (According to Cohen, the FDA
classifies bee pollen as a food. Thus, a warning of possible
allergic reaction does not have to be carried, as it would if the
substance were considered a drug).
Remember, too, that bee pollen is no longer found in honey.
Virtually all honey available in stores is cooked to keep it
clear and relatively viscous, and this removes any trace of bee
pollen from the consumer product....."
Well you can obtain small books or booklets on Been Pollen
from your local Health Food store.
Being healthy, staying younger than your birth-certificate
age (see the book "Real Age - Are you as Young as you Can Be" - a
#1 New York Times Bestseller, by Michael F. Roizen, M.D.), even
looking younger than your birth-certificate age, is much more
than just eating bee pollen. It is a whole way of physical life,
eating good whole grain products, lots of fruits and vegetables,
7 to 8 hours of sleep per day, exercise, and living the physical
life that the above book by Roizen expounds.
I have tried to live that physical way of life since about
the age of 13. I have through those years made bee pollen a part
of my diet. It is I believe just ONE of the many factors that
keeps me looking and feeling 20 or more years younger than my
birth-certificate age.
And you know it is never too late to get in harmony with
God's health and foods laws. It is never too late to get in
harmony with God.
................................
Compiled and written June 2003
For up-to-date information on Bee Pollen I recommend the
following Website:
http://www.ccpollen.com/pgpollen.shtml